Townhouses For Sale in Rural Richmond Hill, Richmond Hill

Former farmland, now Richmond Hill's busiest building zone

The "rural" in the name comes from how the land was zoned for most of its history, not from what you'll find on a visit today. In recent years, builders have turned parcels along Leslie Street, 19th Avenue and Bayview Avenue into subdivisions of townhouses, semis and detached homes. Projects such as Ivylea Towns, Townsquare Towns and The Hill on Bayview Towns have been among them, alongside single-family developments from builders including Starlane Home Corporation and Royal Pine Homes.

That makes it a big source of townhouse supply in the city, a mix of first resales from recent buyers and assignments or new releases from builders. The units are mostly freehold or parcels of tied land, typically three storeys, with a garage and a small yard or terrace.

New-build checklist for this part of the city

• Know whether you're buying resale, assignment or new. Each has different paperwork. An assignment, where you take over another buyer's contract before closing, needs builder consent and careful legal review.
• Check the common elements fee. Many projects here use a parcel of tied land structure with a monthly fee for shared roads, snow clearing or landscaping. Get the budget and status certificate.
• Look at closing adjustments. Builder contracts can add charges at closing, such as utility hookups or development charge increases. Know what's capped.
• Track your Tarion deadlines. Ontario's new-home warranty has specific windows for reporting deficiencies. Mark them in your calendar on the day you take possession.
• Ask about the next phase. If more blocks or roads are still to be built, expect construction traffic and noise for a while.

Gormley GO, the 404 and life at the edge

Location is a trade-off here. The area is close to Highway 404, which runs along the city's eastern border to the Don Valley Parkway and the 401. Gormley GO station, which opened in December 2016 on the Richmond Hill line, is nearby for commuters heading downtown at peak hours.

The downside is that local transit is thinner than near Yonge Street, and some daily errands need a car, at least until retail and services catch up with the new housing. Schools can also lag behind growth. Students in new subdivisions are sometimes assigned to a holding school until a local one opens, so check with the York Region District School Board and the York Catholic District School Board for the exact address.

Who's buying out here

Young families make up a big share. They get a newer home with three or four bedrooms, a garage and no major maintenance for years, in exchange for a longer drive to shops and some stairs.

Downsizers are fewer but present, often attracted by a new home with modern systems. The three-storey layouts that dominate here aren't ideal for everyone, so they tend to hunt for the less common layouts with a main-floor bedroom or room for a future stair lift.

Investors buy here too, especially for rental demand from commuters using Gormley GO and the 404. Check whether the common elements corporation has leasing rules.

Because the area is still filling in, it's worth driving the surrounding roads at different times of day to see what is finished and what is still being built. Use the live listings and days-on-market data on this page to see how quickly new and resale units are moving.